Job bobt



(No Model.)

J. BURTON.

- INKSTAND.

No. 304,408. Patented Sept. 2, 1884.

NITED STATES PATENT FFIC JOB BOR'ION, OF BARNESVILLE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO J OHNATI-IAN R. BALL, IVORTHINGTON T. BALL, HARRISON BRADY, AND FRANK ARMSTRONG,

ALL OF SAME PLACE.

INKSTAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 304,408, dated September 2, 1884,

Application filed January 12, 1884. (No model.)

T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J 013 BORTON, a citizen ef the United States, residing at Barnesville, in the county of Belmont and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Inkstands; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in inkstands; and it consists in the novel construction and combination hereinafter de scribed and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my inkstand; Fig. 2, a plan of inkstand. Fig. 3 shows the lid-support detached.

and this arm is coiled spirally at D.

erably form this spiral only near the angle of the rod; but it will be understood the arm 0 may be coiled its full length where so desired, as shown in Fig. 3. In such case I usually extend the arm laterally from the end of the coil, so it will pass under the well, as will be understood from Fig. 3. The outer end of arm, 0, is bent in suitable form to furnish a broad hand-bearing, E. The lid F'is secured 40 on arm 0 in position to rest normally over the ink-well opening.

111 using the inkstand the writer, with pen in hand, presses against the bearing E and forces the lid back from over the well-open ing, and after dipping the pen into the ink withdraws his hand, when the lid returns over the well. It is thought this operation will be fully understood from dotted lines, Fig. 2. It will be seen that the arm 0 has both a tension downward against the well and lateral, to

the stop H as will be understood.

cause it to return to its normal position specified. This downward tension keeps the well tightly covered and prevents ingress of dust, &c., and the evaporation of the ink. It will be understood that the coiling of the arm 0 might be dispensed with, and that instead of coiling-arm O the coil might be made in arm 0; but I prefer the construction shown and before described, as by coiling the arm 0 the lateral and downward tension of the arm 0 is increased and a more durable and better wearing device provided. I also prefer to bend the end of arm 0 to form the hand-bearing; but this might be dispensed with without departing from my invention.

I do not desire to be limited to the form of spring before described, though in practice I prefer the same. It is obvious that the lid might be held in guides G, as shown in Fig. 5. A coil spring or springs, G, might be arranged, as shown, to bear between saidlid and a suitable back bearing, G When this lid is pushed back away from over the ink-opening, as indicated in dotted lines, and the pressure is removed, the springs G will cause it to return and close said opening. This would involve no departure from the broad principles of my invention, which consists in a laterallymovable lid and a spring whereby to hold the lid normally over the well-opening.

In Fig. 4 I have shown my invention as applied to an inkstand having two wells, H H Between these wells I arrange a stop, H. The arm 0 of the lid-support is secured at a point in line with intermediate stop, H and midway between the two wells.

It will be seen that the lid may be adjusted on either side of stop 11*, so as to operate to and from said stop and over either well H or H. In using well H the lid could be pushed to the left by the thumb. In return it would strike against stop H and close the well H.

In using well II the lid would be moved to,

the right. To change the lid from one to the other well it is only necessary to lift it over This construction is useful where it is desirable to use one ink-say letter-press copying-inkat one time and the common writing-fluid at another. An ordinary lid is provided to cover the one of the wells H H not covered by the spring- I 3. Theinkstand herein described, composed 15 lid. of the well, the lid-holder having one arm Having thus described my invention, what secured to the well and coiled spirally, the I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, arm 0, bent from the upper end of arm 0 and 5 isat right angles thereto, and having its outer 1. In combination, an inkwell, a spring end bent to form the hand-bearing E, and the 20 having one end made fast to the base or suplid secured to the arm G, substantially as and port of the ink-well, and a lid fixed to the for the purposes set forth. 1

free end of the spring and movable, substan- In testimony whereof I ELfliX my signature in -10 tially as set forth. presence of two witnesses.

2. An ink-well-lid support composed of .a JOB HORTON. wire bent to form two arms, 0 0, one arm, 0, Vitnesses: being provided with the lid, substantially as SAMUEL HILLEs,

and for the purposes set forth. BENJ. MAoKALL. 

